VOID

My wife and I are planning a move back to the Des Moines area next summer. We have been browsing real estate listings for a few months now and one thing we are trying to pin down are towns/areas that we should be focusing on.

What are some of the best towns to live in around the Des Moines metro? What are some of the ones to avoid?

Here is our criteria:

1) We are old house lovers. So, we are looking for a home from 1900-1930. We are not interested in a new development or new house. Living in town (in a smaller town) or in the country is fine by us.

2) Needs to be within about a 45 minute drive (max) from West DSM/Urbandale, which is where extended family is.

3) Size of the town is not as critical. However, we are looking for a town that is healthy/vibrant. A town that holds events within itself or with neighboring towns would be nice. We love DSM, but don't want to have to drive into the metro anytime we want to do something fun. Fairs, festivals, etc in said small town would be preferred.

4) I will be working from home so no need to focus location on place of work. Proximity to the airport would be a plus, though.

5) We have kids that are just entering school age. While we don't need to have them in the best schools possible, we would like to be aware of any towns/areas that have notoriously bad schools. We are both products of the Iowa public school system, so that's where our kids will attend.

Winterset and Indianola are the two we've identified so far. What others should we be looking at?

Careful if you're in Ankeny or Alleman
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Really looking forward to three part Grant, bio/pic starting on History Channel tonight. Highly underrated American General and hero. Should be good.

We are going to a secluded cabin for a get-away in early June. Got a notice that distilleries and wineries were now open. Anyone familiar with any of these places. Recommendations would be very helpful:

This picture of my mother and me was taken 75 years ago on my first birthday. I imagine she planned to send it to my dad who had yet to see me in person as he was in the Navy and had been somewhere in Pacific since a month before I was born. My mother was living with my aunt, her older sister, who's husband was also in the Navy, who also had a one year child that her husband had not yet seen in person. The two sisters and two cousins lived in a one bedroom house with an outhouse, no car, no telephone, and I think they only had well water with a hand pump in the kitchen.
A lot had happened in my first year of life:

June 6,1944 D-Day in Europe
June 1944 My dad's only sibling, a younger brother, graduates high school and leaves for basic training in the Marine Corps as he had enlisted while in high school.
March 3, 1945 My dad's brother is killed in his first action during the invasion of Iwo Jima.
April 12, 1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies.
May 8, 1945 Victory in Europe declared.
May 11, 1945. My aunt's husband is killed by the kamikaze attack on the USS Bunker Hill.
May 1945. My first birthday.

Victory over Japan came on August 15, 1945 and my Dad, who was a radio technician and had been assigned to a Marine headquarters unit, visited Japan as part of the first occupation forces. He finally got home in December.

I groused about being locked-in during this Covid-19 pandemic but as I thought about what my mother went through, I'll hold-on a little longer.

For anyone who likes Slay the Spire, or similar card based games, I just got Monster Train. Slay the Spire is excellent, and this one is as good, and might be better. It's built around the same idea, but with some interesting twists. You build your monster/spell deck between rounds, and then place your monsters strategically within a three tiered ladder (4th tier is your "heart" that the enemy can damage if they get there). At any rate, I definitely recommend this one.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-rookie-lb-spears-just-did-his-two-jobs

Wish him the best.

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Now do KU

I've been looking forward to watching this today with Tiger, Phil, Brady, and Manning.... but right now it looks like it's pouring there, and they're calling for rain all day.

I guess if it's not lightning they will still play it, right? What a bummer. Hopefully the weather forecast changes.

Gallagher-Iba used to be a place to be feared due to Eddie.

https://oklahoman.com/article/56630...me-oklahoma-state-basketball-coach-dies-at-84

Link:

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2020/05/qa-coleman-lands-goes-in-depth-on-his-commitment-to-iowa-state/

With the cancellations and the summer closings of pools, parks and celebrations (ie Minnesota State Fair), I wanted to create a post for discussion and announcements (with links please) of closings, restrictions and possible openings of events, and traditional places that one would attend during the summer in Iowa.

For example I am really worried about Fourth of July celebrations in Iowa.

The initial report.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2020/05/recruiting-jalen-coleman-lands-is-a-cyclone/

https://cyclonertc.org/

Get on the CRTC tree.

With most fundraising campaigns being cancelled, this is going to be a big part of fundraising.
A donor is matching the 1st $100,000 and you get a pretty cool wrestling shirt also.

I sent my check in today. Get on board. It is tax deductible!

Cyclone RTC
%Dan Dresser
3103 NW 89th Avenue
Ankeny, Iowa 50023

Maybe this has been covered before in another thread but got a smoker for my birthday this year and while Covid doesn't make things easy to get supplies, where do you get yours? I talking about things that help with the cook, tools, rubs, sauces, meats, and fuel (pellets, charcoal, and wood). So, where do you get yours?

Mines been between Fleet Farm (I live in Ankeny), Sam's and Amazon. No idea where to get woods.

Campbell in at 25

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ranking-the-top-25-power-five-college-football-coaches-entering-the-2020-season/

What do you think will happen with our first football game on September 5, 2020.

Sorry couldn't get a link to work. Had Neil Diamond at Fenway Park.

I'm sure he'd get pummeled and make a fool of himself, but good for a little press I'd guess.

He does look as quick and powerful as ever in this clip though.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/fi...eedwork-in-a-new-video/ar-BB14qjHF?li=BBnba9O

Just started this on Netflix. I've only learned about this through documentaries, so this should be pretty captivating. So far it's doing a good job grabbing my attention.

Does anyone have a GPS dog collar like Fi ? I'd be interested to hear what you think of it.